I can think of three reasons off the top of my head that make car crashed newsworthy.
1. Someone dies or is seriously injured
2. A major road is closed because of it
3. It happened at an interection that appears to be unsafe or has an unusual number of accidents.

Otherwise, it's not news. Maybe a standalone photo if it's compelling, but I wouldn't run any type on a minor crash.

It's news because it happens in public and it's of interest to readers. You looked, right?
If you live in Podunk and you noticed the streets closed off on your way home from work, you expect to see something in tomorrow's paper about the car crash or blown transformer. Obviously, fender benders have no business making the paper because they're not news. But car wrecks, even nonfatals, are part of the fabric of community life, and for that reason readers expect it to be covered. A former sports editor explained at a staff meeting that we cover all the meaningless small-school and 8-man games not because the events are of interest to a significant readership, but because they contribute to the totality of comprehensive coverage that we strived for once upon a time. Like the car crash, I think.

I agree, with DD's reasons, by the way. No. 3 is why I always ask witnesses "is this a particularly bad intersection?" And then I can follow it up with the cops and the city.

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Pete, great question.

I think it depends on the size of your town/market. If you are in a small town, everyone will always want to know why the road was closed or the tow truck was at the intersection of Main and First, etc. Got to run something.

If you are in a county of a million people or so, then only crashes that are major in nature will hit the pages. That's crashes that kill people or have major injuries, etc.

If you live in New York or Los Angeles, then some crashes where people are killed won't even make the paper.